50 Million Plantable Pencils Sold: How Sproutworld is Greening the World with Sustainable Stationery
Plantable pencils that are writing the future
Sproutworld: A Case Study
Introduction:
Back in the 18th century, Nicholas-Jacques Conte mixed graphite with clay and put it into a wooden cylinder. Since then, pencils have become permanent citizens of our desks.
Even now, despite the popularity of high-tech writing devices like laptops and smartphones, pencils have stuck on. Pencils are friends of school kids worldwide, indispensable tools of artists.
But did you know, millions of trees are lost each year to the pencil industry?
The global pencil market size is expected to hit $24 billion by 2028. Great news for business people and job seekers, not so for trees.
Let’s not forget, manufacturing pencils in factories has a carbon footprint too.
Sproutworld, a Danish company with offices in Europe and America, has invented a remarkable pencil — one with a second life after use.
Challenges:
Everyone talks about the importance of caring for the environment. Unfortunately, there is more talk than action. We observe a lack of climate determination in the leaders of nations that cause the most pollution.
They have a lot on their plate to worry about — from generating employment to maintaining political stability to dealing with terrorism. Climate goals are seldom priority number one.
Furthermore, the environmental crisis is considered a “wicked problem.”
What is that? Here’s a definition–
A wicked problem defies any standard attempt to find a solution because it is a symptom or result of multiple, contingent, and conflicting issues.
Wicked problems are difficult to solve because solutions often give rise to more problems. The result? People become overwhelmed. They fail to do the most important thing i.e. take action.
We all say that we want a greener future, but the challenges of daily life prevent us from contributing to afforestation. If only ‘saving the environment’ was easy!
Michael Stausholm, born in Denmark, had worked in the textile industry and was concerned about the harm fast fashion was doing to the environment. So when Michael came across a simple, yet innovative Kickstarter project by a group of MIT students, he recognized its potential to inspire sustainability and founded Sproutworld.
Solution: A pencil that blooms
Sproutworld plantable pencils are simple and effective. After they become stubs, you can throw them away. They will grow into plants, thanks to seeds present in the cellulose capsules at the end of the pencils.
…We can make 175,000 plantable pencils that can grow into 175,000 new plants — Michael Stausholm, in an interview with Monica Sanders of Authority Magazine.
A proponent of the circular economy, here’s how Sproutworld commits to its mission of a greener future:
- Sustainably derived wood: All of the wood used to make Sproutworld plantable pencils is derived from sustainable sources and is certified by NGOs like PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) or FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). Every time a tree is harvested, another one is planted.
- Reforestation projects: To offset carbon emissions and to create sustainable wood production, Sproutworld has purchased idle land of 1.4 hectares in Poland and is planting over 12,000 trees to restore it.
- Third-party assessments: Sproutworld uses third parties like greensurvey.dk to perform Life Cycle Assesment to better understand their global warming impact. For instance, they have found that it takes 3.64g CO2e to make one pencil. By measuring the climate impact of their products from manufacture to end of life, Sproutworld is able to continually work towards improving it.
- Non-GMO seeds: Sproutworld uses seeds that are sourced and produced in the EU and are not genetically modified. This prevents uncontrolled gene flow into wild populations. Customers can choose from a wide variety of seeds ranging from flowers and herbs to spruce trees.
- Blockchain-enabled transparency: Recognizing the problem of unintentional greenwashing, Sproutworld has implemented blockchain technology to back up its green claims with proper documentation. A blockchain is a “growing list of records called blocks which are interconnected using cryptography.” In a blockchain, data can’t be altered or deleted. Therefore, people outside and inside the organization know that the data is correct and trustworthy.
Results:
- Inspired young minds: Students are one of the main customers of the pencil industry. When they use the plantable pencils it reminds them that even simple solutions can have a big impact. The pencils plant the importance of sustainability into their minds at a young age.
- A communication vehicle for brands: Sproutworld customisable plantable pencils are an effective vehicle for brands that want to communicate their message of sustainability. In fact, 85% of Sproutworld customers are companies and organizations. The plantable pencils have become popular promotional merchandise as they can be customized with logos.
- Great business for the company: Sproutworld has sold over 50 million plantable pencils worldwide in the decade of its existence. The company has worked with top people like Michelle Obama and works with clients such as Toyota, IKEA, Coca-Cola, Marriott and Disney.
- A greener world: Although Sproutworld recommends putting the pencil stubs at a 30-degree angle so the seeds get the best chance at germinating, even if you don’t do that, capsules still have the possibility to sprout into plants if they find soil and water. Indeed, Sproutworld has made afforestation easy.
Sproutworld’s plantable pencils are symbols of possibility. They tell us that through innovation and ingenuity, even “wicked” problems like the environmental crisis can be solved. The pencils bloom hope.
Malala once said, “One pen can change the world”. Well, Sproutworld has the same opinion about pencils!
About the author: Akhoy Jyoti Chaudhury is the creator of Balding Green Hills (https://www.baldinggreenhills.com/). He grew up in the hills of North-east India, and couldn’t help but draw a parallel between the deforestation and the balding heads of people. He decided it was time he did something about the issue.
